Attorney General calls for new plea bargaining framework

At a seminar on “Delivering Justice in Time: Global Practices and Indian Experiences,” jointly organized by O.P. Jindal Global University and National Law University Delhi, Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani called for a new national framework for plea bargaining grounded in social, cultural, and economic realities. He emphasized the need for a transparent national protocol to guide practitioners and victims, along with stronger institutional roles.

In his welcome address, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University proposed key reform pillars: enhancing judicial capacity, procedural reforms, use of technology and AI, expanding plea bargaining and adopting data-driven governance. A message from Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal conveyed his interest in the seminar outcomes and future deliberations. Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai, Vice Chancellor, National Law University Delhi, called for evaluating timelines in new criminal laws, strengthening victim justice systems, and developing a national sentencing policy.